Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied who recently came under fire for her ‘disrespectful’ Anzac Day comments went on a government-funded book tour of the Middle East which cost taxpayers more than $11,000.

The book tour in late 2016 took the ABC broadcaster to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the West Bank, Israel, Egypt and Sudan and was paid for by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Australian reported.

The department has confirmed the Middle East visit cost $11,485, including Ms Abdel-Magied’s travel at $3246.20, accommodation for $4605.87 and $3632.93 for ‘incidentals’.

Activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied (pictured on her book tour last November) went on a government-funded book tour of the Middle East which cost taxpayers more than $11,000

The department confirmed the Muslim activist did not condemn practices like female genital mutilation and the death penalty during the tour for her book, ‘Yassmin’s Story’

The department also confirmed that the Muslim activist did not condemn practices like female genital mutilation and the death penalty during the tour for her book, ‘Yassmin’s Story’.

In Sudan, one of the countries she visited, 90 per cent of women are impacted by genital mutilation, while forced marriage and polygamy for men is recognised.

Promoting her book about being an Australian Sudanese-born woman who wears a hijab, she blogged last November about her upcoming tour trip.

‘I’m incredibly honoured to be hosted by the Australian Embassies… I’ll be visiting a number of countries, and although not all stops have public events I will do my best to make time to meet people inshallah,’ she wrote.

From the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi she posted: ‘Among meeting some amazing women in government and seeing the grand mosque, had the opportunity to address almost 200 female engineers … Hopefully it has an impact inshallah!’

In the United Arab Emirates, women need permission from a male relative to remarry.

Ms Abdel-Magied posing for the camera outside media company Al Jazeera HQ while on tour

In Sudan, one of the countries she visited on her book tour, 90 per cent of women are impacted by genital mutilation, while forced marriage and polygamy for men is recognised

A spokesperson previously said: ‘Yassmin Abdel-Magied visited a number of countries in the Middle East to promote Australia as an open, innovative, democratic and diverse nation